Five Easy Ways to Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day

Water. We all know we need it to be healthy; however, remembering to drink it isn't always easy. Sure, it's easy enough to sip water with meals, which is a great start, but hydrating throughout the day is important too, especially as the temperatures start to rise.

I used to have trouble remembering to drink water throughout the day because I would get so busy and focused on what I was doing. That's why I came up with these simple ways to ...

…remind myself to sip consistently all day.

Get a bigger bottle. I used to keep a little 12-ounce bottle of water on my desk, and I would drink it all, but then I would never get around to refilling it. Now, I keep a large 1 liter bottle on my desk with a goal to drink all of it by the time the work day is over. I like it because it’s a little goal I can set each day and easily see my progress as the hours go by.

Set an alarm. If you get so focused that you forget that bottle is on your desk, you may want to try setting an alarm on your phone or computer to go off every couple of hours or so to remind you to take a few swigs of water. I like to use this time to stand up and stretch, too! Don’t want to have to remember to set an alarm? Try the SELF Diet Tapper. Sign up to receive five text messages each day that include meal and snack ideas, nutrition tips, and yes, hydration reminders!

Drink a glass before each meal. If it’s just not convenient for you to drink water throughout the day (maybe your job doesn’t involve sitting at a desk), try setting a goal to drink at least one cup of water before each meal. Not only does this help you to stay hydrated, studies show that drinking a glass of water before a meal can help you feel full faster and eat less!

Track what you drink. A small glass here and there in your busy day may have you unsure about how much water you consumed at the end of the day. So try tracking your fluid intake just like you would when you record meals and snacks in a food journal. For an easy journal that will allow you to record your meals, snacks, workouts, and fluid consumption all in one place, check out SELF’s Drop 10 logs.

Don’t live on water alone. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to drink 64oz. of water per day to stay hydrated. While water is a great choice, all beverages help to hydrate you (even coffee!). Plus, you can meet up to 20% of your daily fluid needs by consuming fluid-rich foods such as fruits and veggies, which are 80-90% water!

If you are not sure whether you are well hydrated or not, you can check the color of your urine. If it is pale in color, you are probably hydrated. If it is darker, you may need more fluids. And remember, if you are working out regularly, especially in the heat, you will need more fluids. I recommend weighing yourself right before and right after an intense workout. For every pound lost during the workout (the loss will be due to sweating), consume an additional 16 ounces of fluid. If you are sweating for a hour or more, you’ll want to consume a sports drink instead of just plain water to replace lost electrolytes.